Forgotten Footsteps
by iluv2smile
Summary: Everyone expects the Jackson kids to be like their parents, but Percy and Annabeth footsteps were not meant to be followed.
1. Chapter 1

**Ok. I just wanted to say, this is my first story. So please, no flames. It's about Percy and Annabeth's kids. That's all I'm going to say. Its all written in third person but some parts focus on a certain character. It usually mentions the name of the character it's centered around in the first or second sentence. I hope that wasn't confusing…:/ Enjoy!**

Percy Jackson sat on the couch staring blindly at the television, which was on mute. It was nearly 11pm and his daughter _still_ wasn't home. He closed his eyes and stretched. It was getting late. He stole a glace at his watch. 10:56. Where was she?

Suddenly, Percy heard a soft giggle coming from outside. It was followed by a few whispered words and a "_Shhh!" _He waited till he heard footsteps going back down the driveway and the fumbling of a key in the lock. Slowly, the door opened and a figure tiptoed in.

"Dad!" a startled voice exclaimed from the doorway. "What are you doing up so late? Its almost 11!"

"Elena!" Percy snapped. " Do you have _any_ idea what time it is?"

His daughter rolled her eyes. "Duh, I just told you."

"We agreed that you'd be home by 9:30, didn't we?"

Elena sighed. "Where's Mom?" she asked, closing the door behind her.

"She went to sleep about an hour ago. She has work tomorrow. Now, where were you?"

"Uh…" Elena looked down stumbling for words as she set her coat and bag on a chair. "Um…I ah…well…"

"It's that boy again, isn't it? Jimmy?"

Another sigh. "Nick, Dad. His name is _Nick_. And I'm _sorry_, ok? I lost track of time…"

"YOU LOST TRACK OF TIME? IT'S 11 PM, ELENA! 11!"

"Actually, it's 10:59."

Percy buried his face in his hands. Then, a rustling came from the bedroom upstairs and a figure descended the stairs.

"Percy? Elena? What time is it?" a sleepy looking Annabeth asked from the middle step. She looked at her daughter and husband facing each other in the living room. "Please, let's just go to sleep. We can deal with this in the morning." Elena nodded, heading up to her room. Her parents followed, turning into their own bedroom looking tired and sleepy.

After they climbed into bed, Percy Jackson wrapped his arms around his wife. "I'm sorry about waking you," he mumbled. He sighed. "I have no idea what we are going to do about her. She's getting way out of hand." No answer. Percy moved his wife's hair out of her face to find her already asleep. "Ah well," he said to himself and pulled the blanket up higher. "Goodnight."

* * *

><p>The next morning, the sun burst through Elena's window, blinding her. She tugged on her covers and pulled them up over her head.<p>

"Ugh"

Why did the sun have to be so bright so early in the morning? It was Saturday for Gods' sake! Couldn't Apollo drive out a bit later? Elena turned to go back to sleep safely under her covers where it was dark. Just as she was drifting off her door burst open. Suddenly, the covers were ripped off in one fluid motion and Elena lay exposed to the sunlight once more. She grabbed the pillow out from under her and used it as a shield.

"MARIA!" she screamed. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

Elena waved one hand in the air blindly looking for her sister. At 10 years old, Maria was a huge pain in the butt. Especially on Saturday mornings. More specifically, _this_ Saturday morning.

"I didn't hear you come home last night. I wanted to make sure you were here. Did you get busted? Dad said he was going to stay up and wait for you."

"Maria," Elena said calmly.

"Yes?"

"GET. OUT. NOW. Before I tie you up and feed you to the crocodiles."

"We don't have crocodiles."

Elena shot her a death glare.

"Ok, ok, I'm leaving. Breakfast is ready by the way. Dad said you had to be there. And he looks pretty pissed… Wonder why…" Maria backed away with a smile.

"You know I got busted. Why'd you ask anyway?" Elena asked.

Maria shrugged and left.

With an enormous sigh, Elena plopped back onto her bed and covered her face with her pillow. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

><p>After Maria left Elena's room, she went to go find her brother. Of course, he too would still be sleeping. He was even worse than Elena! While Elena at least made an effort to wake up before noon, Andy often slept through breakfast and lunch. One time he even slept through diner. Andy, short for Andrew (yeah, yeah, Andrew Jackson, like the president. Total coincidence.), was the oldest. At 17, he was almost two years older than Elena ad seven years older than Maria. Oh yeah, and he liked to sleep. Understatement of the century.<p>

So, as Maria reached for the door to his room, she almost felt a little guilty. She hated to wake Andy up even though he wasn't always nice to her. He was still nicer than Elena.

Maria barged into the room and yanked the covers off the bed. Andy didn't move. With great difficulty, Maria flipped him on his side and gave him a hard push. Andy landed on the ground in a thud.

Soon enough, a dark-haired head popped up.

"Maria. WHAT. THE. HELL."

"Dad told me to come get you. Breakfast is ready." Maria smiled innocently.

"But we never eat breakfast together on Saturdays," Andy said, giving her a puzzled look.

"Don't look at me. Just move it, ok?"

Maria left the room triumphantly and went downstairs to eat breakfast. It _was_ strange that her parents wanted them to eat together. Perhaps there was some important news…

* * *

><p>Breakfast at the Jackson house was unusually quiet. Percy and Annabeth had talked that morning and come up with a solution to discipline their children. Of course, this solution was very difficult for them and included sacrifice on all their parts. They were quiet because they didn't know exactly how to bring it up to their children. Maria was quiet for once in her life because she was waiting. She knew her parents had something to say. From the way they kept looking at each other, she knew she was not going to like it. Elena was trying to be quiet and polite because she knew she was in trouble. She did not want to draw attention to herself and hoped that if she kept things down low, her parents would forget about that whole incident and everything would be back to normal. Or as normal as it ever got in the Jackson house. Andy. He was quiet simply because he was half asleep. He did not appreciate the early wake up call and wanted nothing more than for breakfast to be over so he could resume his slumber.<p>

Finally, Percy cleared his throat. "You're going to camp," he announced.

"Camp? Like Camp Half-blood?"

Now all the children were confused. They went to camp in the summer. It was _not _summer. They glanced at each other silently.

"Yes, camp. Camp Half-Blood." Annabeth waited for their reaction.

"Mom. We go to camp in the summer. Why would we go there now? Is something wrong? Is that why we need to go visit Chiron?" Maria looked worried.

"No, Honey. You're not visiting. We are sending you to camp. Year-round."


	2. Chapter 2

Andy was packing. With not much enthusiasm may I add. He couldn't believe he was being forced to leave his school, his friends, and his girlfriend, just because Elena had screwed up again. And why? To go to some _camp_! Andy was beyond furious. His girlfriend Cassie wouldn't be at camp until after school ended in June. Having no one to share it with definitely made camp less fun.

Andy pulled the suitcase closed and sat on it in order to get the zipper all the way around. He dragged it off his bed and all the way downstairs.

Soon enough, the car was loaded and the three Jackson kids were ready to go. Andy sat grumpily in the back seat looking out the window. He jammed the earbuds into his ear and turned his iPod on. Elena had the other window seat and she too was staring out the window. She could help but feel guilty. It was her continuous ignoring of the rules that got her and her siblings in this mess. Even Maria, who was usually happy and optimistic, did not agree with the punishment. She didn't want to go to camp and preferred to stay home during the year. Camp during the summer was a lot better because it was warmer and outdoor activities were more pleasurable in the sun. Plus, there was no one at camp during the year. Most of her friends were summer campers. Maria slumped back in her seat, unhappy.

Percy Jackson stopped the car in from of a strawberry field. Well, the kids knew it was a strawberry field. Otherwise, you couldn't really tell. Strawberries were mostly a summer fruit and they wouldn't be ready until mid-summer. Percy opened the door swiftly and went around to the back of the car for the suitcases. In the back seat, three children gave each other uneasy glances.

"Mom. I can _not_ believe you are doing this," normally cheery Maria grumbled. "This is _so_ not my fault. Why do I have to get punished cause Elena is stupid-"

"Enough. Apologize to your sister."

" – "

"Now. I mean it Maria."

"…._ I'm sorry_." The words were barely audible.

"Louder."

"I said, I. AM SORRY. I'M SORRY YOU'RE SUCH A STUPID-"

Annabeth fixed her daughter with a stare, shutting her up for the time being.

Andy opened the back door and stepped out into the sunlight. He pulled his jacket closer, shivering from the cold. Maria crawled out of the car behind him, still grumpy. Elena stayed seated, looking at her mother in the passenger seat.

"You know Mom, I hate to say this, but Maria's right."

"Ha. She admitted it. She's stupid. I told you so." Maria's head popped back into the car before her sister glared at her. It popped back out just as quickly.

" I _meant_, she's right. I can't believe you're doing this. Don't you think it's a bit…_much_? All this, just because I missed curfew? That's harsh."

Annabeth sighed and turned around to look at her daughter.

"It's not just that…we just don't know what to do with you anymore. Hopefully, you'll learn something here."

"You mean, you can't handle your job as my parents anymore and you hope Chiron will know what to do with me. Thanks. I feel so wanted right now." Elena shook her head in disbelief and stepped out into the cold to join her siblings.

"Don't be silly Elena. They just want us gone so they can have some fun…" Maria winked, "…_in bed_…"

"MARIA-" Annabeth gasped, closing the car door behind her.

"Come on, Honey, you know she's right." Percy slammed the trunk closed and wiped his hands together smirking. He and his wife took turns hugging and kissing their three disgruntled children before getting in the car and driving away.

"Love you!" Annabeth called through the open window as the three of them got smaller and smaller…

"If she loved us, we wouldn't be here right now," Andy mumbled under his breath.

"Don't say that. Mom and Dad love us. They just…don't know how to show it."

"What are you talking about, Maria? They abandoned us here. They don't care." Elena looked so sad and disappointed that her sister didn't even bother to argue.

Instead she said, "Let's go. I bet it's almost time for lunch. I wonder what the wood nymphs made today…"

They started walking but Elena remained still.

"Elena, you coming?" Andy asked. 

"Are you kidding? No way. See you punks later." With that, Elena tore off down the road and plunged into the forest.

"Aren't you worried?" Maria asked Andy.

"Nope. She'll come back when she's ready. And besides, if she's not back by tomorrow morning, I guess I can go look for her or something."

"What if she gets eaten by a monster?"

"Well then good for her."

"But what if-"

"Please shut up."

"We are so screwed." Maria stared at her brother. "What's Chiron going to say when only two of us show up?"

" I guess we'll have to wait and see."

"But-"

"Maria?"

"Yes?"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY"

"Andy?"

-Sigh- "Yes, Maria?"

"Watch the language"

" - "

"I thought so."


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry bout the shortness. The other ones will be longer, I swear.**

A figure pushed through the trees hastily. She had no destination planned and didn't care where she wound up, as long as it wasn't camp, of course. She picked up the pace, jumping over fallen branches and ducking to avoid getting whacked in the face. Eyes narrowed in a determined glare, she sprinted through the unknown forest, looking back only occasionally to make sure she wasn't being followed. A gust of wind sent dead leaves spiraling across the forest floor. The sound of her footsteps and racing heartbeat were accompanied by birds chirping, squirrels scampering, and even the occasional deer. This _was_New York after all.

Soon enough, the trees gave way to sand and the ocean spread out before her. She breathed in and ran to the edge of the water. Soft waves lapped at her toes and she felt renewed energy surge through her.

With a sigh, Elena Jackson plopped down on the soft sand and hugged her knees to her chest tightly.

"Why? Why are you doing this to me? Do you hate me so much?" she sobbed. "Don't you love me?"

"Of course they love you, Elena." A deep voice, soft like a gentle ocean breeze, spoke in her mind. "They love you so much, and so do your brother and sister. They love you more than you'll ever know…"

* * *

><p>Maria reached the Big House way before Andy, who was taking his time strolling through camp with his earphones safely in his ears. By the time he got there, Maria had already explained the situation to Chiron. He welcomed them and sent them to their cabins, announcing that lunch would be in half an hour.<p>

Maria sped to the Athena cabin and eagerly joined her siblings. Well, technically, her _mother's _siblings. One perk to being in the Athena cabin was that she was away from Andy and Elena.

She was the only one of the Jackson kids that took after Annabeth. When she, Elena and Andy first came to camp, it was decided that they would be placed in the cabin that fit them best. Elena and Andy were put in the Poseidon cabin but her brains, blond hair, and gray eyes, got Maria into the Athena cabin right away.

One of the down sides to camp was that her parents were legends. She was expected to live up to that and become just as great, if not greater. When anyone saw here they would point and stare. They asked for help with their sword fighting and archery and canoeing, and anything else you could imagine. It was such a pain! Of course, Maria had friends to help her survive. Unfortunately, they weren't at camp year-round.

"IS THAT-"As Maria tried to catch up with the Athena cabin, one girl stopped and stared at her, mouth gaping. Obviously a newbie.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm Maria Jackson, Percy and Annabeth's daughter."

"OMG THAT IS SO COOL! YOUR PARENTS ARE HEROES! CAN YOU-"

"No, I can NOT help you train, nor will I sign an autograph for you."

"…"

"NO."

"But…" The girl got a dreamy expression on her face.

"_I said_, NO."

This was going to be a long year.


	4. Chapter 4

**This isn't my favorite chapter, but I like it more than some of the other ones. It's pretty long (to make up for the last one). Hope you like it (:**

Of course, the Jackson's didn't know how much their children hated camp. When they sent them away, it was one last desperate attempt to fix things.

A definite advantage to this was having the whole house to themselves to…well, you know. A _dis_advantage however was that they would not be seeing their kids until the end of the summer, still months and months away.

As Annabeth Jackson lay on the bed after a particularly eventful evening, she wondered if she had mad the right choice. Granted, Andy, Elena, and Maria would be safe in Chiron's hands, but Annabeth was unsure if she could stand being away from them for so long. She wondered if they would move on; forget her and Percy. Would her choice only bring them farther apart?

Next to her, Percy was having thoughts about a similar subject: his eldest daughter. Was he a bad parent? Had he been too harsh? No, he decided. Elena continuously ignored the rules. He wondered about that night with Jimmy-no, Brian-no, Nick. Yes, his name was Nick. What had his daughter been doing with _Nick _until nearly 11? Was it possible that they had been-NO. Elena knew better than that… didn't she? The more he thought about it, the more worried he got. She was only fifteen…

* * *

><p>Andrew Jackson (Yes, like the president. I thought we went over this already) was lonely. He sat alone in the Poseidon cabin staring intently at a stain on the ceiling, wondering how the hell it got there. There were still almost twenty minutes until lunch and he had nowhere to be. With Elena gone, he was the only person in the cabin. Either way, he was still the counselor. There wasn't enough time to start an activity. It wouldn't be worth it. Then again, it was too soon to head over to the mess hall. Andy reached for his treasured iPod and turned the volume up. He bobbed his head slightly to the loud beat and went back to studying the stain. More than anything, he wished his sister were here to keep him company. Even though she was pretty annoying, anything was better than being alone… Really, how did that get there?<p>

* * *

><p>Elena sneezed. Someone must be thinking of her. She sneezed again. And then again.<p>

Damn.

Sad and lonelier than ever, Elena wandered across the sand, dragging her bare toes around in patterns. She had left her shoes and socks farther up the beach and rolled up her jeans do they wouldn't get wet. The water felt like cold ice against her bare feet but she didn't care. What would she do next? She could return to camp and apologize for running off. Chiron wouldn't call her parents, but she might have to clean out the stables for a week. OOOORR…. She could…_live _a little. Freedom was hers to claim. Elena breathed in the salty sea air and smiled. Yes….

* * *

><p>Lunch that day was relatively uneventful. Andy sat alone at his table eating the world's best macaroni and cheese and not enjoying it at all. His "magical" goblet was filled with an endless supply of Mountain Dew but he wasn't thirsty. Elena was STILL gone…. He was starting to worry. Andy shoveled spoonfuls of gooey pasta into his mouth until his pate was empty and raced to his cabin. He dug around in his pockets pulling out his last gold drachma.<p>

"_O goddess, accept my offering Show me Elena Jackson, Long Island, New York."_

Andy threw the coin into the fountain in his cabin and waited. The mist shimmered and suddenly Elena's face appeared stained in tears.

"A-A-Andy? What do you want?" she stuttered.

"You've been gone a while. Come back to camp already. Don't you think you've had enough time to cool off? Everyone's worried," Andy said.

Elena took a deep breath. " I'm not _going _back. I'm sorry Andy. They've taken it too far this time. Do me a favor; don't tell them I'm gone. They might send me to military school or something. Just…just forget all about me. And please don't try to contact me again."

"Elena-" Andy started.

"No, Andy, listen to me. Tell Chiron that there's been a change of plans. I won't be coming to camp after all. Please. Do this…do this for me. Don't tell anyone where I am."

Elena sounded so desperate.

"Where _are_ you, anyway?" Andy asked suddenly.

His sister looked around. "Uhhh…. I'm not really sure, to tell you the truth. But don't worry. I'll be fine. Remember. Don't tell Mom and Dad… You'll do it, right?"

"I guess," Andy said, defeated.

"I got to go now. Remember. You promised."

Then Elena waved her slender hand through the mist and disappeared. Andy stood alone in the cabin wondering what had just happened. He considered telling Chiron and his parents what Elena was up to. They would be scouring the woods in minutes. Surely they would find her. But…. He owed it to his sister. He promised, and he knew she needed some time to find herself. Camp was toughest on Elena. She didn't have Annabeth's brains like Maria did. She didn't have Percy's skill, bravery and quirky personality like Andy did. Well, Andy _somewhat _did. Ok, Andy basically only had the skill. Out of all the Jackson children, Elena was least like her parents. And well, Andy knew that people kept expecting her to win every sword fight and always be right about everything, and so on. Andy also knew how disappointed people were when Elena lost to an Ares child or didn't know something that maybe she should have. If he was Elena (Wow. Weird thought right there), he would run too. There was simply too much pressure, on Elena and on all of them.

With a deep sigh, Andy climbed into bed for a much needed nap.

* * *

><p>Maria lay on her bed thinking. It was something she did quite often. Maria was so lost in thought that she didn't even hear the door open and a figure step into her cabin; not until the figure walked right up to her and sat down on her bed.<p>

"Elena's not coming," Andy grumbled.

"WHAT? Not coming? No. Way. Where's she going to go? What's she going to eat? Where is she going to sleep? Where will she find water? How about clothes? She can't wear the same clothes from not until the end of August! OH-NO! OH-NO! OH-NO! What if she DIES?" Maria gasped, eyes wide with shock and lack of oxygen.

"Chill. Elena isn't going to _die._" _I hope._ "She didn't say anything about the rest of that stuff but Elena is smart. She'll figure something out."

"Uh…Andy? Are you on crack or something? Elena is not _smart_! OMG SHE IS TOTALLY GOING TO DIE! OH-NO! OH-NO! OH-NO!"

Andy rolled his eyes and got up to leave. "Don't worry about it. She might be back before the summer. I think she'll want to be here when her friends come."

"Andy?"

He turned around. "Yes?"

"If you are okay with this, then I was right."

"Huh?"

"You _are _on crack."


	5. Chapter 5

Elena was stuck. Not in the "I don't know what to do next" kind of stuck. In the "Oh. My. Gods. I can't move. How the Hades am I going to get down from this tree if I can move" kind of stuck. She thought she heard something in the distance and got up on a tree to get a better look. All of a sudden, she realized she couldn't move her leg. Her jeans where tangled up in one of the tree branches and she couldn't reach down to untangle them. When she tried, she ended up semi-falling out of the tree, still handing by her jeans, and smashing she arm against the trunk, probably breaking it.

_Well,_ she thought. _This is a wonderful way to die. At least I won't have to put up with Maria any more. I wonder what it feels like to die…I hope it doesn't hurt. I'd die of thirst before I'd die of hunger, right? Wow. I'm actually really thirsty. I should go find a stream or something. Wait. I'm STUCK. Right. I forgot. This sucks. _

After many failed attempts to get down, Elena gave up and waited patiently for the inevitable. Death.

* * *

><p>If the Jackson kids where at home, they would have wanted to burn their eardrums. Percy and Annabeth were so loud that they didn't hear the phone ring. The phone rang and rang but Percy and Annabeth Jackson were enjoying themselves far too much to pay attention. By the time Percy and Annabeth collapsed in a tired heap on the bed, it had stopped.<p>

"Percy," Annabeth said in between breaths, "We haven't done this in so long…over 10 years… but this is what, the twentieth time this week? Maybe we're overdoing it a bit…"

"Are you kidding me? This is the first time we've been alone in so long!" Percy propped himself up on his elbow and thought about it. "Well…." He rolled over onto Annabeth, kissing her on the lips. "Nah"

* * *

><p>Chiron knew something was wrong. Andy Jackson had just informed him that his sister Elena would not be attending camp until maybe the summer. That was strange. Percy and Annabeth had told him all THREE on their children would be coming… But Chiron also trusted Andy. Even if he wasn't telling the entire truth, there had to be a good reason. Still, Elena may be in danger. He decided to call the Jackson's and make sure they knew of Elena's absence.<p>

Chiron would have sent an IM, but he didn't want to accidentally interrupt "something".

So, he just went into town and used the pay phone by the gas station. It rang a few times and then went to voicemail. Suddenly, an IM appeared in from of him. It was Lilly, the head counselor from the Demeter cabin.

"Chiron, we have a HUGE problem. The strawberry fields are on FIRE! Come quick!" Lilly was huffing and puffing and looked like she had just been running. "Hurry…"

Her voice was lost in the shouting and yelling behind her. There was smoke everywhere! The campers were all panicked. Many were trying to put out the fire. Jefferson from the Athena cabin ran by coughing and hacking into his elbow. Chiron waved his hand through the message and galloped to camp as fast as he could.

This was a serious matter.

* * *

><p>When Maria walked out of her cabin that morning, she was still a bit dazed after a long night's sleep and wasn't watching where she was going. The cold air felt crisp against her skin. "Ahh…"<p>

BAM

Maria crashed right into something and landed on her butt.

"Owwww…!" The other person had fallen over as well. He stood up slowly and rubbed the spot on his arm that Maria had crashed into.

"Andy?" she asked, surprised.

"Yeah… Watch where you're going!"

"What are you doing here?" Maria asked, still stunned.

"I'm looking for Chiron. Any idea where he went?"

"Oh, yeah. He said he was going to go use the phone in town to make an important phone call to Mom and Dad. Why?"

"Mom and Dad?" Andy's jaw dropped. "Oh no! He's going to tell them about Elena!"

"What are you talking about?" Maria inquired suspiciously.

"Come on! We have to go!"

Andy quickly filled Maria in on his talk with Elena and how he promised not to tell their parents.

"But you're not telling them, Chiron is," Maria stated matter-of-factly.

"Maria. Seriously. They can't find out."

"Why?"

"Maria. Trust me. It would be better for Elena if they didn't know. If they find out she ran away, she could be in big trouble. Like REALLY big trouble," Andy said.

"Ok," Maria decided. "We have to help. I have a plan…"

"Of course you do." Andy rolled his eyes at his sister but listened anyway.

Thirty minutes later, the strawberry fields were ablaze.

"I never like strawberries anyway," said Maria.

She and Andy stood back and admired their work. This would have to do. Someone would tell Chiron about the fire and he would rush back without calling their parents about Elena. They prayed that they weren't too late…

**The last part was fun to write…teehee. –Evil grin- Hope you liked it! I'm leaving for Greece on the 26th so I'll try and get a whole bunch posted before then. I wont be back for two months though. I'll try and update from Greece…type out a couple chapters here and borrow my sister's laptop or go to an Internet café, I really don't know. Heehee. I'll just put it all on my handy-dandy flash drive! YAY! Oh, and I'm really not one to push for reviews, but they would really make my day… (HINTHINT!)**


	6. Chapter 6

As Andy watched the strawberry fields burning, he couldn't help but think his sister was a genius. The fire was of course under control. Being a grandson of Poseidon, he had a few powers over water.

"I never like strawberries anyway," he heard Maria say.

Andy smiled slowly. It was the perfect plan. Create a distraction and lure Chiron back to camp. He was standing watch over the field with Maria in case the flames got out of control. Once Chiron arrived, they would go put out the fire and apologize for being late. Everything would be all right. They would keep Chiron busy for the next few weeks and hopefully he would soon forget. Or maybe he would just let it slide.

Finally, they saw Chiron gallop into camp and an impossibly fast speed. He stopped short to talk to Lilly, the head counselor from Demeter. She was frowning and waving her hands around. Andy couldn't tell if she was trying to clear some of the smoke or if she just did that when she talked.

Chiron was here.

It was time.

* * *

><p>When Chiron got to camp, he was promptly met by Lilly.<p>

"Chiron! You're here!" She sounded exhausted.

"Lilly? What's wrong? Why didn't you get Andy to stop the fire? He could have put it out right away! Where is he anyway?" Chiron frowned.

"Well," said Lilly, frowning as well, "no one has seen him all day. Remember, he always sleeps until lunch. There was no one in his cabin when I went to get him. I tried asking Maria, but I couldn't find her either. Her siblings said she skipped breakfast to sleep in."

"So no one knows where either of them are?" asked Chiron.

Just then, Maria and Andy ran up to them. Chiron opened his mouth to speak but Lilly beat him to it.

"Where have you been? Andy, we looked everywhere for you!"

"I was in my cabin taking a shower," Andy lied. "Maria came and told me about the fire. Is everyone okay?"

"Yes, we're fine. Where were you, Maria? I went to your cabin but you weren't in there," Lilly asked, turning to Maria.

" I was taking a walk in the forest," Maria replied, not missing a beat.

Chiron raised an eyebrow at Lilly, who was staring at the Jackson's speechless.

"I guess I should go put out that fire," said Andy.

"I'll help you," added Maria.

* * *

><p><strong>Let's see, I think I may have forgotten about someone… Don't worry. Let's go see what's happening with poor little Elena all stuck in that tree.<strong>

Elena was bored. Of course, there isn't much you can do when you're hanging from a tree with a broken bone. Her arm hurt. Her head hurt. More than anything, Elena needed a good nap. She felt her eyes closing and herself drifting off into a blissful, pain-free, darkness.

Elena snapped awake. She tried to block out the burning sunlight with her arm but was immediately hit by an intense pain. She then remembered the previous day's events. Her eyes blinked open and she saw a dainty face emerge from the tree trunk.

**I apologize for the shortness of Elena's part. I promise it will get interesting later on…I hope. I had something planned for her… "MWAHAHA" This is meant to be a pretty long story, so hopefully by the end we'll get some good 'Elena' parts. You'll see…I just may bring in a few people to help her on her journey…this was technically supposed to be Elena's story though. IM SORRY! I get a bit off track sometimes…. Next chapter will be soon!**


	7. Chapter 7

**This is probably one of my favorites. I really like the end… Well, I hope you like it too. Enjoy! Oh and BTW, you'll be hearing a lot more about Ryan in the future…**

For the second time that day, Maria ran right into someone. Her shoulder smashed right into the figure, knocking them both down.

"Oof," said Maria jumping back up to her feet instantly. She wiped her hands together and studied the boy in front of her. "I'm really sorry 'bout that," she said, offering her hand. The boy took it.

Maria studied him closely. He had straight light-brown hair that fell into his face. He pushed his hair aside and she saw a glimpse of green eyes before it flopped right back where it was.

"No worries," he said casually. "I'm Ryan."

"Maria. What cabin?"

"Hermes," he replied smugly. "You?"

"Athena. Duh."

"Should have known. Guess I'll see you around then," he said.

"Yeah. Sure."

* * *

><p>Andy was sleeping when his door burst open and Lilly from the Demeter cabin came in. She rolled her eyes then pulled him off the bed and onto the floor. There was no time for waking him up nicely. Andy grumbled and slowly sat up.<p>

"Lilly? What do you want?" He said, tired and annoyed.

"Well I thought you wanted to hear about what's going on outside the Mess Hall."

"Why would I care?" he asked, still not seeing the point.

"It may have to do with the fact that your sister looks ready to beat up a couple of Ares kids," Lilly replied.

"Elena's not here," Andy grumbled and got back on the bed.

"Not Elena you dimwit! MARIA!"

"WHAT?" Andy shot out of bed like a rocket and sprinted out of the cabin. When Maria got mad, she really got mad…

* * *

><p>It was right after lunch and Maria was walking back to her cabin when she heard a couple Ares kids taunting someone.<p>

"Lets see you fight us!" she heard them say. "You waiting for mommy and daddy to come save you? HAHAH! Their time here is up. Now its your turn, loser!"

That was funny. What were they talking about? She started toward them for a closer look. She wasn't expecting to see _Ryan_ cornered by Bobby and Drake Larson from the Ares cabin.

"Don't you think we'll go easy on you cause your mom and dad used to come here, punk." Bobby cracked his knuckles.

"Yeah," sneered Drake. " I bet – "

Before he could finish, Maria marched over and gave both the Larson's a glare. "Bobby. Drake. What do you think you're doing?" She asked in mock sweetness.

"We're not bothering you! Get lost!" Drake shouted.

"Yeah!" Bobby put in. "We're just having a bit of fun." Turning to Ryan he said, "Ha. I bet Mommy and Daddy weren't even that good of fighters. ID DAT WHY DEY DENT WOO EER?"

Ryan seethed. "You. Did. Not. Just. Go. There."

"They were probably nobodies like _Maria's_ parents," Drake jeered.

At this, Maria jumped. She used each of her fists to land a punch in each twin's stomach. Ryan, slightly frightened, took a few steps back. Maria pulled out her knife and the twins each drew a sword. Surprisingly (to Ryan), Maria held her ground easily and even managed to cut Bobby's arm. Soon enough, their swords were thrown askew and Maria had one knee planted on each of their chests.

"TAKE. THAT. BACK," she fumed.

* * *

><p>Ryan watched Maria beat up the two Ares children, mouth hanging open. Soon, she had them both on the ground and her knees on their chests. He was astonished.<p>

"TAKE. THAT. BACK," he heard her say.

The twins looked at each other. "Nah."

Ryan saw her eyes flash with anger and her arm pull back for a punch. Before her fist made contact with flesh, an older dark-haired boy grabbed her from behind and pulled her off of them. Maria thrashed about but the boys grip was sturdy. He had his arms wrapped around Maria's middle so that her kicking feet were off the ground.

"Andy…" she said slowly, "they insulted Mom and Dad. I know that we aren't on best terms right now since they –"

The boy, presumably her brother, dropped her and turned toward the twins. He calmly punched each one in the face and walked back in the direction on the cabins.

"I'm going back to sleep. No more fights for today!" he yelled over his shoulder at his sister.

Maria watched her brother walk away and couldn't help thinking how awesome he was. He could have yelled at her for attacking the Larson's but he didn't. In fact, he punched them both in the face then walked away like it was nothing. She then turned around to look at a shaken Ryan.

"Sorry bout that. They should know better than to insult my parents after all they did…"

"I thought your mom was Athena."

"Nah. She's my grandmother. My parents…"

"They went to camp?" Ryan asked.

"Follow me."

Maria took Ryan to Chiron's office in the big house. Most of the walls were filled with pictures of famous demigods. Maria stood by one of the newer ones and smiled. The picture showed a teenaged guy with dark hair and green eyes and a blond haired girl with startling gray eyes like Maria's.

"These are my parents," she said softly. "I wish they were still like this now. They're the ones that shipped my and my siblings here year-round. Normally, we just come in the summer. You just met Andy. He's seventeen. My sister Elena sort of ran away. Andy Iris messaged her a while ago and she said she wasn't coming to camp. They – they don't understand." Maria looked close to tears.

"What'd they do?" Ryan asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Maria said, looking up.

"What did they do to get their picture on the wall?"

"It's a long story. You'll probably hear it eventually." Maria turned and walked away lost in thought. Her parents had been heroes. What did that make her?

**See? I liked that. Don't know about you…. maybe you should review and let me know? (COUGHCOUGH) This is actually three and a quarter-or-so pages on Microsoft Word. LUCKY YOU. It's quite longer than the last chapter… The next one is a little shorter, I think. (Yes, this is mostly pre-written. I write them faster than I post them since I have limited Internet access… My parents suck. I only get about an hour a week…IF I'm good…). Until next time, SALUT! (that means goodbye in French)**


	8. Chapter 8

"Hi there! You're finally awake!"

Elena looked up to see the rest of the girl's body emerge from the tree. She sat on one of the branches and played with her green-tinted hair.

"Wh-wh-who are you?" Elena stumbled.

"Well, I should be the one asking you. You're the one that landed in my tree!"

"You're a dryad," she said stupidly.

"Of course! What did you think I was? A satyr? A Cyclops? A reindeer?"

"Reindeer?" asked Elena laughing.

The dryad laughed with her. "I don't know! It just popped into my head!"

"Um…Do you think you could help me down from here?"

"Oh right! Of course! I forgot! Tee-hee!"

After she carefully untangled Elena from her tree and got her to an upright position, the dryad crafted a sling for her arm out of leaves from the forest.

"I'm really sorry but I don't have any ambrosia. Dryads don't usually carry any…"

"That's okay," Elena said with a smile. You've already done enough. I thought I was going to die up there…"

"Oh my!" exclaimed the girl suddenly. "You must be hungry! And thirsty! I can't go too far from my tree, but I can tell you that there's a stream over that way," she pointed, "and there are a few blueberry bushes nearby."

"Thanks!" Elena told the dryad. "You saved my life!"

She waved and disappeared into the forest.

* * *

><p>After archery practice that day, Ryan snuck back into Chiron's office. He looked long at hard at the picture of Maria's parents. They looked about sixteen years old. Looking closely, he noticed both of them were wearing matching necklaces – a few clay beads strung on a strip of leather. The girl – Maria's mom – seemed to have more beads than the boy. He squinted at the picture trying to count them. One…two…three…Ryan counted ten on the girl and only four on the boy. What did they symbolize?<p>

Ryan moved away from the picture and looked around the office casually. He recognized some of the other pictures on the wall, famous singers or artists or athletes. Something on the desk caught his eye. It was an open book with names – hundreds of names. The last name in the book was his. It was followed by his cabin and the date of his arrival. Ryan turned a few pages back and found his father's name. Then, halfway down the page, he found his mother's. He ran his finger over the words, as if making sure they were really there. Tears dripped down his face as he stared at the letters spelling out her name:

_Katie Gardner._

**I was going to end it here, but it was really short. I didn't want to be mean, so here you go. You're so lucky that I'm a nice person**_…_

* * *

><p>The car parked on the side of the road next to Thalia's pine tree. Two figures stepped out of the car and walked up Half-Blood Hill. They stood side by side, holding hands, looking at the camp they had fought so hard to protect. Then they proceeded to walk down the hill, past the camp's magical boundaries, and into the center of camp.<p>

The Jackson's smiled as Chiron came to meet them.

"Percy! Annabeth! What a surprise! What are you two doing back here?" Chiron said.

Percy smiled. "We just couldn't stay away. We really missed them. We came to visit."

Annabeth nodded in agreement. "Where are they?"

Chiron checked his watch. "Well, considering it's not lunchtime yet, Andy should still be sleeping. But the Athena cabin is in the arena practicing their sword fighting. Maria is probably there right now."

"Thanks," Annabeth said, smiling. She grabbed her husband's hand and they headed for the arena.

* * *

><p>Maria was practice-fighting Alexa, her cabin leader, in the arena. It was a close fight and Maria was getting tired. Alexa was good, very good. But Maria was better. Soon, she had disarmed Alexa and was pointing her knife at her neck. But something was wrong. Alexa wasn't even looking at her. She was focused on something behind Maria, eyes wide. Maria turned around slowly to see…her parents? She wiped the sweat of her forehead with the back of her hand and pulled her blond hair back in a ponytail.<p>

"Hey Mom. Hey Dad," she said casually. "What's up?"

* * *

><p>Ryan heard someone cough behind him and froze in place.<p>

"And _what_ exactly are you doing here?" the person asked.

Ryan's eyes widened and he gulped. Slowly, he turned around to face…

**-Hides in closet- **

**DON'T KILL ME DON'T KILL ME! The next one will be up soon, I promise! **

**Wow…. This is actually a short author's note! I'm so proud of myself! NO! I'm making it longer! AHHH! Hehe. **


	9. Chapter 9

Maria Jackson was embarrassed. Sure, she looked calm and collected on the outside, but having her parents show up at camp was seriously cramping her style. The Jackson's had been at the arena for a total of about five minutes. They had barely seen their daughter. Once everyone got over their initial shock, they swarmed around Percy and Annabeth, drowning them in questions.

"Is it true? Did you really jump into the lake and kiss for an hour straight after the Battle of Olympus?"

"Did you really take a knife for him?"

"Are you seriously invincible? How does it feel?"

"Why are you back here?"

"How long are you staying?"

"Did you bring Elena with you?"

Percy, Annabeth, and Maria all snapped their heads to look at the girl who asked that last question.

"_What do you mean_?" hissed Annabeth. "Elena is here already…" She turned her head to look at her youngest daughter.

Maria buried her face in her hands. She could feel her parents glaring at her.

"Maria," Percy started, "Elena_ is _here isn't she?"

"Hm?" Maria looked around nervously. "Of course she is, Dad. Where else would she be? She's probably in her cabin sleeping. Have you _seen _the time? No my fault your children like to sleep…" Maria smiled to herself. That sounded pretty convincing… Thankfully, the girl who spoke before remained silent.

Annabeth was still frowning slightly, but decided to let the issue go. She would check up on Elena and Andy soon. If there wasn't time to go to their cabin, she was sure she would see them at lunch.

"Can you show us a few techniques?" asked an Athena girl with brown hair and blue, eager eyes.

Annabeth smiled and pulled out her dagger. Percy uncapped his sword. The campers stared in awe. No one noticed as Maria slipped out….

* * *

><p>Andy was sleeping. Of course he was. Andy was <em>always<em> sleeping. The door to his cabin burst open, hitting the wooden wall with a loud smack. Andy's eyes blinked open, adjusting to the sunlight. He could just barely make out Maria's ten-year-old form in the doorway. She was panting like one would after a nice long run and had her hands on her hips.

"ANDY!" she managed to yell, "DO YOU KNOW WHO'S HERE?"

Andy blinked incomprehensively.

"YEP! THAT'S RIGHT! MOM AND DAD! AND YOU KNOW WHO THEY WANT TO SEE? YEAH! THAT'S RIGHT! ELENA! NOW GET OVER TO THE ARENA NOW BEFORE I GET OVER THERE AND BEAT THE COW POO OUT OF YOUR SLEEPYHEAD BUT!"

"Huh? Wha-?"

Maria reached out, grabbed his arm, and dragged him out of his cabin. "GO! GO! GO!" she told him. "AND YOU BETTER HAVE SOME GOOD EXCUSE READY!"

Andy stopped short. "How am I supposed to do that?"

His sister took a few breaths to calm down and said, "I don't know. You made the mess; you clean it up. I want nothing to do with it."

"But? Please? Do it for Elena. She's our sister. We have to help her!"

"…Alright. But you owe me big time."

Andy smiled and headed toward the arena, happy to have someone backing him up. They would not fail. They would do it for Elena.

* * *

><p>"Mr. D?" The words fumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them. He didn't try to hide his shock.<p>

"Wha-?" He started.

"My question first," Mr. D snarled.

"Uh… What was it again?"

Mr. D sighed. "_What_ exactly are you doing here?"

"Oh, uh, I, uh…. um, well, I…"

"Looks like you are having a bit of trouble with that one. All right, new question. Who are you?"

"I-I'm uh, I'm Ryan, sir."

"Ryan. Yes… Well Ryan, even though it seems you have speech issues, I quite like you. You may go. Don't let me catch you in here again without permission. That old horse doesn't appreciate people messing with his things. Go on now."

Ryan mumbled a "Thank you" and hurried out the door. Once outside, he paused for a moment, letting the cool air brush against his bare arms. He couldn't help but think of those names inked onto the yellow-colored paper – his mother, now long gone, and his father, so very different from how he once was. He couldn't help but remember the was it once was, just as he couldn't help but wish it was like that once more.

* * *

><p><em>"I HATE YOU!" The words spilled out of Elena's mouth before she could stop them. Tears slid down her cheeks as the words sunk it. She stood there in the silence of what she had just said. She didn't mean it – not really. But Elena couldn't take it back because at that moment, it was how she felt. She hated them. She couldn't wait to leave. She couldn't wait until she became eighteen and moved out. She never wanted to see them again.<em>

_Her parents just stood there, their eyes full of hurt. They looked at her like she was tearing them in half, ripping out their souls. She could tell they loved her – No. She told her self that she was wrong. They didn't love her. Not as much as Andy. He was the oldest. Not as much as Maria. She was the youngest. She had caused so many problems…they couldn't love her. They couldn't…_

_Her parents just stood there and watched their daughter say those three words to them for the first time. Three words that would be repeated countless times in the following years. And each time she said those three words, it broke their heart a little more. _

_I hate you. _

**Ok. I just wanted to make something clear. **

**When the writing is bold (like this), I'm talking.**

Normal means it's the story.

_Italics are used for flashbacks, visions, dreams, etc._

**Got that? Hope you liked it. This was actually one of the easiest chapters to write… don't know why. **

**I'M LEAVING FOR GREECE SOON! As you can tell, I'm a bit exited…**

**This was only about three pages on Microsoft… but there are more paragraphs than dialogue. So be thankful. And let me know what you think. **

**One more thing. I am estimating this story to have about 50 chapters. I know that's a lot. I'll try to move faster and get on with the story line. So far, I'm going with a beginning, middle, and end. We are still on the beginning. In each part the characters will be different ages. Ex: now, Maria is 10, Elena is 15, and Andy is 17. In the "Middle" they will each be four years older. In the "End" they will be two years older than that. Also, Each part will have a different focus, even though the plot of the story is the same. Make sense? I have no clue. I have an insane headache right now…**

**BYE!**

**Oh wait. One _more_ thing. This is the last chapter I'm putting up before I leave. I'll do 3-9 today. Just so you know, there won't always be so many at the same time. I'll do the rest one by one. **

**Bon Soir!**


	10. Chapter 10

**So. I've been stalling. The truth is, I had no idea how to write this. I wasn't sure what kind of adventure Elena would have to go on or what kind of difficulties she would have to face. I have a pretty good idea now. And don't worry; Elena's journey will be far from easy. And by the way, I WAS INSPIRED BY…(dun dun dun!)… A PINK RUBBER DUCKY. Thank you ducky.**

She felt so much better – she really did! Elena had reached the end of the forest and found herself in a quaint little town on Long Island. She had been wandering around for days with a bottle full of water and a basket (which she wove herself) of berries and edible plants. It wasn't too hard to find something to eat in the forest. Every so often, she would find a stream and fill up her bottle.

When Elena stumbled onto the road, the first thing she noticed was the rusty store across it. The pain was peeling, the OPEN sign read "PEN" and there was not a single customer. No one. The letters above the door were hard to read, due to her dyslexia. To her they looked something like:

"OESJ IZAPZ PRAROL"

She stared at the words, trying to make sense of them.

"Joe's Pizza Parlor," said a voice behind her. "Can't you read?"

Elena turned around to see a girl about her age standing barefoot in the street.

"I have dyslexia," she told the girl.

Suddenly, she looked embarrassed. "I'm SO sorry! I didn't know!"

"It's fine," Elena said. "I'm Elena." She stuck out her hand.

"Marlene." She reached out to shake Elena's hand. "What are you doing here? No offence, but you look kind of gross. Like you spent the last few days wandering around in the forest."

"I have."

"Wow! You must be starving! And in need of a shower! You can come to my place. My mom is still at work. She won't be back for a while."

Elena nodded. "Alright."

Andy smiled at his parents brightly.

"Mom! Dad! What are you doing here?"

Percy and Annabeth frowned. Andy was never this eager, especially so early in the morning.

"We missed you three," Annabeth said cautiously.

_This isn't so bad_, thought Andy. _They haven't asked about Elena yet. Maybe they-_

"So. Where's your sister?" Percy asked his only son.

"Maria? You just saw her."

"_No. _Elena. Where is she?"

_So much for that. _

"Elena? I think she went to the stables," Andy lied. "She likes talking to Hamlet when she's upset."

Hamlet was Elena's favorite pegasus.

"Oh, ok. So we'll see her at lunch?"

"I don't know. Probably. How long are you staying?"

"Oh, just until after lunch. Your father and I have some business to take care of on Olympus. It seems that one of the statues of Apollo broke. Apparently it was his favorite, but personally, I just think he loves them all. He is-" Annabeth rambled until her husband clamped his hand over her mouth.

"We'll go back to sword fighting now, alright Andy?" Percy said.

Andy nodded. Crisis averted. Mission: success.

Ryan was lying in his bed even though it was the middle of the day. Hermes kids skipped their activities often, so no one was surprised that he had stayed in the cabin claiming to be sick. In reality, Ryan could not stop thinking about his parents. Life before his mother's death hadn't been perfect – but it was pretty damn close! The day his mother died, Ryan lost a lot more that just her. He lost his whole family. And that was a depressing thought. Ryan shook his head. He didn't want to be depressed. He didn't want to be _anything_ like his dad.

Maria Jackson was in crisis mode. She was completely freaking out. As the smart one in the family (not including her mom, of course), it was her responsibility to come up with a plan. And for the first time in her life, she couldn't. No matter how much she sat and thought and thought and _thought, _she came up with nothing. And that was a very big problem.

**I am SO SORRY. I didn't mean to be gone for so long, I swear! I was barely able to get on the Internet at all in Greece, and when I could, I had barely enough time to check my facebook so my friends wouldn't kill me. When I came back…well I just couldn't seem to be able to finish this. I am completely stumped and waiting for that sudden burst of inspiration that will help me move the story along. I will try getting the next chapter up soon, but I've been really stressed. High school sucks. Friends suck. Parents suck. As far as I'm concerned, the whole world sucks.**


	11. Chapter 11

**No sudden burst of inspiration yet. I'm sort of forcing myself to write **_**something **_**so I don't disappoint you guys! I apologize if this chapter sucks, but at least it's something, right? **

**On the other hand, if you haven't already, check out my other story, Awkward IM's. **

Maria Jackson banged on the door of the Poseidon cabin.

"ANDY! WAKE UP!" She paused a moment to hit the door a few more times. "ANDY! COME _ON_!" Maria looked around and then whispered urgently, "_I have a plan_." Those were the magic words. The door opened, revealing a sleepy-looking Andy still in his pajamas. Maria barged in and plopped herself down on one of the empty beds. She looked Andy over. "Really Andy? It's almost noon."

He shook his head tiredly and pushed a tangled mess of black hair off his forehead.

"The plan?" he asked.

Maria pulled a drachma out of her pocket and opened one of the window shades. She took a spray bottle out of her backpack and handed it to Andy. "We're going to do this the old fashioned way." She smirked.

Seconds later, Elena's face appeared in the mist. She was still in the woods, but her clothes had been changed and she looked a lot cleaner.

"Elena!" Maria exclaimed.

Her sister smiled. "Hey Maria. Everything ok back at camp? No one misses me?"

Maria frowned. "Well," she said. "Mom and Dad came back."

* * *

><p>Let's back up a bit. As Elena followed Marlene back to her house, she told Marlene her story.<p>

"So you just ran away?" she asked.

Elena shrugged. "Yeah. I really don't like that camp. I want to go to school, hang out with my friends. I really do not want to have anything to do with my parents and their crazy camp. You know, the director is actually a really close friend of theirs."

"So you just…left." Marlene was still in shock.

"Yep. My brother and sister are covering for me. I just want to go out and do my own thing for a while. Maybe find a few old friends and stay with them for a bit…I'm not sure."

Marlene thought for a bit. "Maybe I can help you. You can shower and change at my place. I'll give you a few t-shirts and a backpack full of food. You can eat something and sleep a bit, but then you have to go. My mom is really strict, so you probably shouldn't be here when she gets home. Sorry."

"No, that's fine. Even that is so kind of you. And I should probably be getting to my friends house soon, anyway"

They stopped walking. Elena stared at the medium-sized blue house in front of her. The shutters were painted dark gray, potted plants dotted the steps, and flowers were planted on each side of the entrance. It was so neat and ordinary – the complete opposite of the girl in front of her.

"This is it," Marlene said. She took a key out of her front pocket and headed up the steps.

Inside was even tidier. There was no clutter _anywhere. _The couches in the living room were white and looked expensive. The kitchen was full of all the newest kitchen appliances. Elena ran her hand over the granite countertop in shock.

"Alright," Marlene said. "Shower first. The bathroom is right there. Let me just get you a towel. There's shampoo and body wash and conditioner in the bathroom."

A few seconds later, Marlene returned with a fluffy white towel. "Here," she said. "I'll go make us something to eat."

Twenty minutes later, Elena emerged from the bathroom wrapped in the towel. "Sorry," she said. "I didn't really want to put those clothes back on yet. I washed them in the sink, so I'll just wait for them to dry."

Marlene smiled. "I'll give you something to wear. You look thinner that me, and I have a few things that don't fit very well anymore. You can have them."

Marlene led Elena to her room where she pulled out two t-shirts, a long sleeved shirt, and pair of jeans. "Oh, and these," she said, tossing Elena a pair of shorts.

"Thank you so much!" Elena said. She went to the bathroom, pulled the t-shirt on over her bra, and tugged the shorts up her still-damp legs. Then she stuffed the rest of the clothes into a ratty old backpack that Marlene had given her. "I used it for school a couple years ago, but I got a new one now," Marlene had told her. Half and hour later, Elena's hair was combed and dried, her clothes were clean and added to the backpack, and both girls were sitting in the kitchen with a large sandwich on their plates.

"This is delicious!" Elena told her new friend. "You made it?"

"Yep," said Marlene, still chewing. She swallowed what was in her mouth. "I'll make you another one for later. Do you like pasta salad? There's a whole bunch of that in the fridge, plus a couple veggie burgers."

"Really, that's ok. You don't need to give me that much. You've already done so much for me."

Marlene shrugged.

"Why are you doing all this anyway?" Elena asked.

"Your shirt."

Elena looked down. "What about it?"

"Camp Half-Blood. My sister went there. Daughter of Hermes. My mom had an affair before she met my dad and voila! Cassie was born. She's a lot older than me."

"Really?" Elena smiled. "She's a demigod?"

"Yep."

Elena and Marlene talked some more. They ended up exchanging phone numbers and emails promising to keep in touch. Soon enough, Elena was on her way.

Percy and Annabeth Jackson. Just two people. Two people who have managed to change our world forever, and save it innumerable times. As we go about our day, we never realize just how much we owe them. We don't fully understand what they did for us, all the sacrifices they made. They would die for us, the world as a whole, and they almost have many times. But fate is on their side. Their destinies have yet to be fulfilled. Their jobs not yet completed. There is so much more…

**I am so sorry this took so long! I got about half way and then…well I couldn't force myself to continue. And then yesterday…BOOM. That sudden burst of inspiration.**

**I would like to thank everyone who reviewed in the past… all THREE of you. Yes, I have only gotten THREE reviews. That makes me sad. PLEASE REVIEW. I want to hear what you have to say/ how I can make this better. My ultimate goal is to write one big mega-story that's insanely long and really good. But that's not going to happen unless you guys REVIEW (It probably won't happen anyway…). I'm serious. Your input makes me write more. I hate to be one of those people… Really. A 'good', 'bad' or 'ok' is fine. I would PREFER more…but still. :D**

**P.S. I hope that chapter didn't suck too much :/**

**P.P.S. I really am thankful to those of you who DID review or just even took the time to read this :) THANKS SO MUCH GUYS!**


	12. Chapter 12

**I just realized how many times I have the characters in my story IM each other… wow. I'm obsessed. I need to thank everyone who reviewed, will review, or both. THANK YOU! So many people want more…AGH! I'm having a hard time keeping up! (That's a good thing :D) I've had an unbelievable amount of homework this week…typed paragraphs, DBQs, tests, quizzes, band lessons, labs, and FREAKING INDEX CARDS. Sorry :P Here's the next chapter!**

**-one week later-**

**SORRY! I wasn't able to finish this due to that HW I mentioned. BUT, I will be updating this sooner, I promise! And my other stories. Oh, and it snowed. A lot. YAY SNOW! (Btw, how does it fucking snow in OCTOBER!) School canceled today and tomorrow! Oh. Yeah. Enjoy.**

"So," Maria said. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and sucked in her breath. It had rained the day before and the grass was still a little wet, dampening the back of her jeans. She turned to look at Ryan who sat beside her. "You said you wanted to talk about something."

"I want to know how you do it," he told her.

"Do what?"

He thought for a bit, as if trying to find the right word. "Survive," he said finally. "How do you survive here? I don't think I can do it much longer."

She shrugged. "It's not easy. I have Andy and Elena, though. They help me through it. People have seen Andy in the arena. They don't say anything if he's around, unless they want to end up in the infirmary for life. Suddenly Maria stopped. She had said too much.

"Is your dad really good at sword fighting?" Ryan pressed.

Maria was silent. "Yeah, I guess"

"Obviously your parents were pretty well-known around here…isn't it hard?"

"Look, Ryan, I can't really help you much. But I can tell you this: avoid the Ares kids as much as possible. Stay away from the Aphrodite cabin unless you want to spend the rest of your life smelling like perfume and flowers. Oh and unless you would like to _be _a flower, don't make any of those Demeter girls mad. Don't wave to the nymphs and say on Mr. D's good side, _if_ you can find it. He'll be gone soon so don't worry. As for your parents, well I wouldn't go around bragging if you want to live to see summer. Just…forget them. This is about _you_."

Annabeth Jackson was skeptical. She and Percy had brushed off the incident at camp pretty easily but she couldn't stop thinking about it.

_Did you bring Elena with you?_

The words repeated over and over again in her head. _Did you bring Elena with you? Did you bring Elena with you? Did you bring Elena with you?_

There had to be a reason someone would ask that question. But if there was a problem with Elena, wouldn't Chiron call? Wouldn't she and Percy be notified if their daughter was missing? What was going on?

Elena was on her way. Of course, moments after she left Marlene's house, a very angry looking hellhound jumped in front of her, blocking her path. The worst part? Elena didn't have any weapons. Her sword was with the rest of her bags at camp. She did the one thing she could: ran. She ran in the opposite direction, past the grocery store and the fire station. She passed what used to be a post office and dashed into the woods. The hellhound was closing in on her. Finally, it caught up and began circling around her. Elena grabbed a thick-looking stick of the ground and faced it bravely. The monster lunged, but Elena jumped to the side. Before it could turn, she smashed the stick into its thick skull. She felt bad, remembering her dad's hellhound, Mrs. O'Leary. Elena would never hurt her. Then again, Mrs. O'Leary wasn't the hellhound in front of her. The hellhound in front of her was definitely looking forward to a tasty demigod for lunch. She swung the stick at its head, but it caught it with its teeth. It ripped the branch from Elena's hands, but somehow it got stuck in its throat. Elena took this opportunity to run. This time, the hellhound did not follow.

After running till she was sure it was gone, Elena slowed in front of a park. She saw and empty bench and quickly claimed it. She needed to figure out her next move.

Maria had decided something important. She had decided to speak to Chiron. She and Andy were not doing a good job of keeping Elena's absence a secret and she was really starting to worry about her sister.

She found the old horse in his office going through some old papers.

"Chiron, I need to talk to you," she said.

Chiron looked up and beckoned her over.

"It's about Elena."

This got Chiron's attention. He looked at her questioningly, still not speaking.

"I think…" She stopped, uncertain whether she was doing the right thing. She thought of all the nasty situations Elena could be in. All the monsters that could be after her, not to mention all the bad humans that could hurt her. "I think Elena might be in trouble."

Elena knew she needed help. She also knew that she needed _demigod_ help. She thought about her parents' friends from camp. There was Grover, who was a satyr, but he was a Lord of the Wild so he was fairly busy and often away on business. Thalia was busy with the Hunters of Artemis. There was Clarisse, but Elena didn't really want to go to a daughter of Ares for help. Her dad did have a lot of friends at Camp Jupiter, like Jason, Hazel, Frank, and Reyna, but that was in California. Who else? Stoll. Yes, two brothers. Her dad had said they still lived in New York. Well, one of them. Which one? What were their names? Connor and…? Travis. Yes. He lived in New York. But where? Somewhere near…Yes. Elena remembered. She had a bit of money…and she had passed a train station before. Yeah. Travis Stoll. Elena was going to find him.

**THANK YOU! –Blows kisses- Sorry it was short and took forever…but there will be more soon! Keep and eye out;)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys. So. I'm at a really rough spot in my life right now, unfortunately. This is actually good for all you. I write to forget my sorry, miserable life. So, I've got a new chapter for you because I'm feeling very depressed. Here it is :) Oh, and thanks to everyone who reviewed. You made me smile and I really needed that.**

Elena Jackson stepped out into the sunshine; sure this was a new beginning. She had asked around – it hadn't taken very long to find Travis Stoll. All the locals seemed to know him. When she asked, they looked…sympathetic. Like they felt sorry for him. Something was definitely wrong, but Elena was too happy to let it bother her. She was on her way again. She had someplace to start.

Soon, she found the house. It looked nice, but almost – abandoned. That was strange…Elena didn't think too much of it. She walked up the front steps and knocked on the door. There was no answer. She knocked again, this time louder. Slowly, the door opened to reveal two bloodshot eyes and greasy, matted hair. The man behind the thick slab of wood was around her dad's age. His arms were slightly muscular like he was very fit as a child. He had a large belly that stretched out in front of him like a blown-up balloon. A white undershirt full of holes and stains somehow fit over his large figure and was tucked into a pair of plaid shorts.

"Whosthere?" he asked, the words slurred.

Elena paused. Was this Travis Stoll? What has happened to him?

"Hello. I'm looking for Mr. Travis Stoll. Is that you?"

He squinted at her. "That depends. You from the FBI?" The words were strung together and she barely managed to understand him.

"FBI? No. I'm ah, looking for some help," Elena said carefully.

"What kinda help?"

"Well, um, you were, uh, friends with my parents. It was a long time ago. Camp Half-Blood. I'm Elena. Elena Jackson. My dad said mentioned you in a lot of his stories from then. Percy Jackson. You know him?"

"Yeah," he grunted. "And your mom? Annabeth Chase I bet."

Elena nodded.

"Well look kid, I don't do that kinda stuff anymore. As far as I'm concerned, that part of my life is OVER." Travis turned around and slammed the door in her face. Elena was left staring at the large wooden door that had just closed, locking her away from any hope she had left and leaving her all alone once more.

* * *

><p>Andrew Jackson (GODS. Yes! Like the president! It's just a coincidence!) walked past over a dozen Apollo kids with their arrows drawn, unaffected.<p>

"Hey! Grace!" He called and beckoned the cabin counselor toward him. She shot her arrow at the target and turned toward him, not even stopping to see that she had hit the bulls-eye.

Grace McLain had been the counselor of the Apollo cabin for almost five years, ever since the last one decided to try and go to college. She was tall and thin, had long red-tinted blond hair that swung past her shoulders, and big blue-green eyes.

"Hey Andy! What's up?" Grace pulled her hair up into a ponytail and wrapped a pink hair-tie that was previously on her wrist around it.

"I need you're help on something. It's about my sister."

"Which one? Maria?"

"No. Elena."

**I'm so sorry for the shortness! I tried to make it longer…but like I said. I'm really depressed and I have a HUGE science test tomorrow. I kind of just left you hanging there…but that's ok :) **


	14. Chapter 14

_Percy Jackson was trying to comfort his son, but a hospital wasn't exactly the best place for a two-year-old. _

_"Shh…" He whispered, stroking his son's dark hair. "Don't worry, Andy. Mommy is fine."_

_That just made the boy cry harder. _

_Percy hugged his son closer and rocked him back and forth. "Andy, you're going to have a baby sister! Shh…Everything's ok." The crying soon subsided as Andy began to suck on his little, chubby, two-year-old thumb. _

_Percy and Annabeth had been driving Andy around the city when Annabeth leaned over clutching her belly and told Percy to get her to the hospital. There had been no time to make arrangements to leave Andy with Percy's mother, and the hospital didn't allow children in the maternity ward. Percy and Annabeth had talked it over and Annabeth insisted Percy wait in the waiting room with Andy. One of her siblings would stop by later to bring the bag that had been sitting in the living room packed for weeks and watch over Andy for a little, giving Percy time to check up on his wife. Percy had not anticipated though that his son would burst into tears as soon as Annabeth was taken away._

_He rubbed Andy's back gently, trying to calm not only his son's, but also his own nerves. Percy didn't like not being next to Annabeth, especially at a time like this. _

_Hours later, Malcolm arrived with the bag. He sat down next to Andy, who was coloring with his crayons, and whispered something to the child, making him smile instantly. Percy relaxed and headed up to find Annabeth. _

"_AAHHHH!" The screams were audible from the hallway. Percy slipped into the room silently and grabbed Annabeth's hand. Her face was red and sweaty, her hair matted, and she was dressed in a pale hospital gown. She couldn't have been more beautiful. She looked at him and relaxed, before the pain washed over her again and she clung to her husband's hand tightly. _

_After what seemed like mere minutes, Percy had to go back to the waiting room to stay with Andy. _

_"I love you," He said, kissing her cheek. "You're doing great."_

_Back in the dreaded room with Andy, Percy could do nothing but worry. He hated leaving Annabeth but she had insisted he go be with their son. At least Andy was quiet…_

_Percy's mom showed up a few hours later and took Andy back to her house. Percy felt much better being back with his wife, just in time for the birth, too! Annabeth dug her nails into Percy's palm. After many encouraging words, and a lot of pain and screams from Annabeth, a baby's wail could be heard. Husband and wife smiled at each other and moments later they were handed their second child. _

"_She's beautiful!" Percy gasped._

"_Again with the hair!" Annabeth muttered, referring to the dark mop of hair on their daughter's head that resembled her husband's. "Percy, they BOTH have your hair!"_

"_Hey there, Elena," Percy cooed, using the name they had previously picked for their daughter. _

_Around a week later, Annabeth and the baby came home. Andy, who was eager to meet his new sister at first, had a hard time adjusting to a baby in the house. There was a lot of crying and smelly diapers. But that nigh, when the whole family sat in the living room, Annabeth holding baby Elena and Percy holding Andy, everything was perfect._

**Ok, so this one was pure flashback for you guys. Shows a little bit about what happened when Elena was born. I'll probably have one of these for Andy and Maria too, but WAY later on. So. Did you like it? Please let me know! REVIEW! :P I'm sorry there was no actual 'story' in this, but the flashback was necessary. I'm also sorry it was so short :/ Please go read my other stories too. And REVIEW! (Wait. I said that already) Alright, my lovely readers: till next time! **


	15. Chapter 15

**Back to tying up a couple loose ends from chapter 13 (yeah, there weren't many. It was really short). Oh, and has anyone finished reading Inheritance yet? 880 pages of pure awesomeness =) I finished it Friday night (the Friday after it came out…so 11/11?), although I had to spend most of my day off reading to do it. I wasn't particularly fond of the ending though…too many loose ends. Please PM me if you want to talk about the book. I need to discuss it with someone! To those of you who have no clue what I'm talking about, I apologize. I'll just let you read now. So long!**

As Andy watched Grace put her hair up, he had to admit, he got a little distracted. Grace was pretty – really pretty. He watched carefully as she pulled a loose strand away from her neck, joined it with the rest of her hair, then slid a pink hair tie off her wrist and wrapped it around her strawberry-blond locks. _Snap out of it, _he told himself.

"I need you're help on something. It's about my sister."

"Which one? Maria?" She asked.

"No. Elena." That seemed to surprise Grace.

"What? Is she even here?"

"No…" Andy began carefully. "That's what I wanted your help with. I was wondering if you had any extra nectar, ambrosia, or, I don't know, other medical supplies?"

"Why? Is she alright?"

Andy explained their situation, after making sure she wouldn't tell anyone, of course.

"I'm going after her. It's been too long. I need to make sure she's not hurt. That's what I need the stuff for. So. Can you get it for me or not?"

Grace thought for a moment, and then told Andy to follow her.

* * *

><p>After the failed attempt for help, Elena Jackson sat on a bench at the train station, deep in thought. She had run out of options. She was out of money. She was tired. She was hungry. Worst of all, she was disappointed – in herself, in Travis Stoll. She had never thought that someone like her – a demigod – could ever be like that. Elena was more determined than ever. And now, she had a new task. She had to save Travis Stoll.<p>

* * *

><p>Maria Jackson felt guilty. Really guilty. She had just spent the past ten minutes spilling her guts to Chiron and now…she wasn't sure she should have.<p>

After she finished, Chiron's frown grew even deeper. "Maria," he said carefully. "I don't believe there's anything we can do. We must let Elena find her own way back. It is what's right."

"But Chiron! Elena has always been…average. She isn't ready for something like this!"

"Maria," he warned.

"But Elena isn't special!"

"That is an unwise thing of you to say, especially about your sister! Elena possesses many talents, though some may currently be hidden. I expect great things from her, as I do from you and Andy. You will assist the Hermes cabin today in cleaning the stables for your ignorance and lack of respect. Thank you for informing me, though. Is that all?"

Maria nodded and backed out of the room.

**Review. Please? Lots of reviews = happy me! :D**


	16. Chapter 16

A few hours before sunset, Maria headed over to the stables for her punishment. She didn't mind the job TOO much. It was definitely better than kitchen duty. The Hermes cabin wasn't there yet. She knew they had to clean as 'punishment' for having the lowest number for the cabin inspection that morning. The Hermes cabin was never clean. It was always more crowded that the other cabins because even though demigods were being claimed at the age of thirteen, there were many kids under that age who were still undetermined. They got stuck with some nasty chore almost every day! Maria went to work scooping poop and washing the winged horses.

Soon, the Hermes cabin arrived – loud and noisy. Ryan picked up a brush and stood next to her helping with Porkpie Jr. She didn't object. They worked in silence for a while.

"So. What'd you do?" Ryan asked

Maria was quiet.

"That bad?"

"No," she snapped. "I just don't want to talk about it."

"Is this about your sister? I heard some rumors…" Ryan looked down nervously.

"I SAID I don't want to talk about it!"

"Alright." Ryan bit his lip and went back to the horse.

* * *

><p>Grace led the way to the Apollo cabin. She looked around, then opened the door and ushered Andy in. He bumped into something and she held her finger to her lips. The first thing Andy noticed was that the cabin had a sort of…glow. The walls were gold and a grand chandelier hung from the ceiling. Andy was so absorbed in the shining crystals that he bumped into a switch on the wall. The lights dimmed and a huge disco ball replaced the chandelier.<p>

"Cool," he whispered.

Grace flipped the switch and the disco ball disappeared. She led the way to a corner of the room that was occupied by a large cabinet.

"Technically, this is only for Apollo children, but I'm making an exception. _No one_ can know, though. Ok?"

Andy nodded.

Grace opened the cabinet. Inside was basically any type of medical supplies you could think of. There was human medicine and tons of nectar and ambrosia. There were even a couple books on how to create healing spells and what kind of plants could be used to cure diseases and clean cuts.

"What'd you do? Raid a pharmacy?"

"Please," Grace scoffed. "We have much more than those lousy mortal pharmacies!"

She started to remove items from the cabinet then stopped. "You know what? I'll lend you my backpack. You'll need it." She walked over to what Andy assumed was her bed and pulled out a backpack from underneath. "It's magically enhanced. It can hold as much stuff as you need and it never rips. Remember to give it back when you return." She began to put things in the backpack, explaining each as they went in.

"Nectar and ambrosia. Remember, not too much. This cream is used for disinfecting cuts and scrapes, just in case you already had too much ambrosia. A few band-aids, some gauze, medical tape. Oh here, take this book. A lot of the plants in the woods can be used for therapeutic purposes." She continued to place items in the bag, then finally zipped it up and handed it to Andy.

"It's a good thing, what you're doing. You seem to really care about your sister. I hope she's safe."

Andy thanked her and they both left the cabin. Just then, a few of Grace's siblings ran by chasing a couple Ares kids.

One girl, obviously from the Ares cabin, waved her fist at an Apollo girl.

"You little bitch!  
>You made me rhyme!<p>

I'll get you for sure this time!"

Grace sighed. "I should go fix that. Good luck on your trip Andy."

"Yeah, bye."

* * *

><p><em>Percy Jackson remembered the time he had first learned that his daughter had a boyfriend. She was texting during dinner and he had asked what was so important that she couldn't wait. She smiled. "Sorry Dad! I can't ignore Danny though can I?"<em>

"_Who's Danny?" He had asked._

"_My boyfriend!" She smirked. _

"_Your WHAT?" _

"_My boyfriend." She typed something quickly and slipped the phone in her pocket._

"_Since when do you have a boyfriend?" He asked her._

"_I don't know. A few weeks? Gods Dad!" Elena went back to shoving food in her mouth._

"_How come I've never met this…Danny?"_

_She shrugged. "Who cares?" Elena pulled her phone out of her pocket and checked the screen. "Can I be excused?" _

_Percy sighed and motioned that it was ok for her to leave. A boyfriend? His little girl was growing up…_

**Hey guys! I know it's been a while…Anyway. I just want to briefly mention my story Awkward IM's. As a lot of you may know, I wasn't going to continue writing…but now I might. I had a bit of a "reality check" and I realized some important things regarding why I write and things like that. I think I may have over reacted when I decided to stop but…well I'm kind of out of ideas. So I'll let you know about what's going to happen with that sometime soon. In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I apologize for the previous ones cause they were really short! So, review! And PM me if you ever need anything or you just want to talk or something…I love being in touch with my readers. Thank you! :D**


	17. Chapter 17

It was getting dark and Elena stopped behind a department store hoping to get some sleep. She changed into the jeans Marlene had given her behind the dumpster and stuffed the shorts into her bag. It was starting to get a bit chilly and Elena rubbed her arms and lay her head down on her pack. That was when she noticed it. Leaning against the side of the dumpster was a guitar. She went over to inspect it, finding it in pretty good shape.

"Why is this out here?" she whispered to herself.

Elena picked up the guitar and leaned against the wall, carefully plucking the strings – testing them. She began to play.

"_Your little hand's wrapped around my finger and it's so quiet in the word tonight_" she began softly. "_Your little eyelids flutter cause you're dreaming so I tuck you in, turn on your favorite nightlight._"

Tears slid down her cheeks as she continued. "_To you, everything's funny. You've got nothing to regret. I'd give all I have honey, if you could stay like that."_ Elena put the guitar down and wept – not even bothering to wipe away the tears.

"_I won't let nobody hurt you. Won't let no one break your heart. And no one will desert you…just try to never grow up_." She whispered her favorite line from the song and buried her head in her arms. "Too late," she told the night. "Too late."

* * *

><p>Maria Jackson marched across the campgrounds in a hurry to get to the Poseidon cabin.<p>

"Why hasn't this curse gone away?

You said it'd only last a day!" An angry Ares camper screamed at the Apollo counselor.

Maria laughed to herself then ran the rest of the way to her destination. "Andy," She began, and then stopped. The cabin was empty. "Andy?" She looked around the cabin then went outside and surveyed her surroundings.

"Maria!"

Maria turned to see Grace McLain, the Apollo counselor, running toward her. "Are you looking for Andy?" Grace asked.

She nodded.

"So he _didn't _tell you…" Grace shook her head.

"Tell me what?"

Grace looked uncomfortable. "Maria, Andy's gone."

"What do you mean, _he's gone_," Maria snapped.

"You're brother left this morning."

"Well, _where did he go_?"

Grace bit her lip. "He went to find Elena."

"Then so am I," Maria said stubbornly.

"No. You aren't going anywhere. Do you know what Andy would say if I let you go after him? No. You are staying right here."

"Grace! I'm not a baby anymore!" Maria screamed.

"Well you aren't an adult either! You aren't even a teenager, Maria! You're ten years old!"

"Then come with me!"

Grace shook her head. "No. This is something Andy has to do. He'll be back though. He'll be back soon, and Elena will be with him."

Maria reluctantly nodded and promised Grace she wouldn't go after Andy. It took everything she had, but she did it. Because she knew Grace was right. She couldn't help Andy. She would just be a burden. It was something Andy had to do on his own.

Hey there, everyone! Sorry this is so late! I've been so busy! –dodges tomatoes-

**Alright, so, I've got a question for you. That's why this chapter is so short – I needed your opinions. Is Elena ready to go back yet? This story WILL continue. Like I said, this is still the beginning. Should I wrap it up and move on to the middle or should I continue Elena's journey? (I'm kind of running out of ideas…) PLEASE review and let me know what you think and hopefully I'll have the next chapter ready soon! Also, Awkward IM's is being continued! (YAY!) Thanks to everyone who reviewed on that and begged me to continue(: ONE more thing. I do not own the song. It's Taylor Swift's Never Grow Up.**

**P.S. For those of you who want to be writers, PM me if you want some tips that I've collected from authors' blogs and such…I found them REALLY helpful. **


	18. Chapter 18

The next morning, Elena woke up to the sun in her eyes and a very strong garbage-y smell. She woke up, dusted herself off, and began to gather her stuff. It was a new day and Elena knew exactly what she had to do. She had found what she was searching for, or so she thought. She remembered Travis Stoll, a man who refused to help her. In the end, he had. She thought about Marlene and how she was so willing to do everything possible for Elena. She thought about her mom and dad, who really hadn't done anything wrong. And then, Elena considered her actions. She was sick of being so bitter all the time. She was sick of the rule-breaking and the attention hogging person she was. She knew what she had to do. She had to go back to camp.

* * *

><p>Andrew Jackson (NO. NOT THE PRESIDENT. He's dead by now. This is really getting annoying…) pushed his way through the woods praying he wouldn't run into any hungry monsters before he could find his sister. To tell you the truth, Andy didn't really know where he was going. He figured he'd go back to the road that his parents had left him on and start walking in the direction that Elena had run.<p>

He pushed through the forest determined to get to the road and begin his search. Sure, the likelihood of him finding his sister was slim to none, but he had to try. He knew he should have gone earlier, but he knew Elena needed some time to herself. She needed to work out a few things about their parents – the legends. While Andy was thinking about this, he felt his foot snag under a tree root. His ankle rolled and before he knew it, he was facedown on the forest floor with a handful of dirt in his mouth. He propped himself up on his elbow and began to twist his body, attempting to get up.

"Need some help?"

Andy looked up to see Elena standing above him with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Find the meaning of life yet, Sis?" he asked with a smile. "Or did you lose it on the way back?"

"Ok, then, I guess you wouldn't mind if I leave now. Bye-bye!" She began to slowly back away from him.

"What! You aren't going to leave me here, are you?"

"Well…"

"ELENA!"

She squatted down next to him and stuck out her hand.

"No way. We're a team now."

**Ok, I actually think that's where I'm going to end it. So everyone! This is the end of the "Beginning" section! Next time you hear from me, everyone's going to be four years older! Yay! So, to get you thinking about the story, here are a couple questions to keep your mind moving: What did Elena learn from this? What's going on with Ryan and his family? Where does Maria fit into this whole thing? Why didn't Andy go after Elena right away? And what is Travis Stoll's problem?**

**Also, to whoever is a fan of well any of my other stories, I will update soon! I just have writers block and nothing's really coming to me right now…If you've never read my other stories, GO READ THEM. **

**And I know this was short. Like, really short. But I figured it was better than nothing. I really just needed to wrap this part up. **

**So, REVIEW. Tell me what you think! I really DO want to hear it! YOU, my readers, are what make each day special. Seriously, I LOVE reviews. I want to see a lot, k? Bye for now! (:**

**Oh and special shout out to I'm Myself Deal With It. Just because. **


	19. Chapter 19

Four years is a long time. Remember that, because we won't be picking up where we left off. It's been four years now, and things are very, very different. Things have changed, just like they should have. It wouldn't be life if we remained the same forever. Just remember that as the story proceeds. We wouldn't be people if we didn't grow and evolve.

* * *

><p>Camp Half-Blood couldn't have been more different. As Andy dragged his feet past Thalia's pine, he couldn't help remember the last time he was there. It had to be three years or so since his last visit, and Andy had to say he felt a bit guilty. He looked around at the bright sunshine and colorful plants. Oh the irony. The first thing he noticed was the noise. Or, more specifically, the lack of thereof. He couldn't hear screams of laughter coming from the lake or livid curses as the Hermes cabin pranked yet another unsuspecting camper. It was just silence. He breathed in deeply and started toward the Big House.<p>

* * *

><p>Maria Jackson stood in the bathroom of the Athena cabin and stared at the figure looking back in the mirror. She ran a hand over her blond curls, lingering at the ends that fell between her shoulders. She reached for her tube of mascara and applied some to her already-long eyelashes. Just in case. She decided against the blush, but settled for some tinted lip balm instead.<p>

Maria turned away from the mirror and opened the window. In the distance, she could see the Hermes cabin, mocking her. It was just a short walk away. She could do it.

She pulled the window closed and left the bathroom. As soon as she stepped foot outside her cabin, she turned back. No, she couldn't do it. What was she thinking? No, it would just have to wait. She poked her head out the door and looked out into the distance again. There it was. _Ok,_ she thought. _You can do this._

* * *

><p>"Andy!"<p>

Elena jumped up from her spot on the couch to give him a squeeze. "I didn't think you were going to be able to make it this year!"

He shrugged. "Yeah, well, I pulled a couple strings"

"I'm so glad you're here, Andy. I really missed you" She gave him another hug. "We need you"

"We do"

Andy looked up to see Chiron at the doorway, frowning.

"Quite frankly, your absence from camp troubles me"

"But Chiron, I have school. I have a job!" Andy said defensively. "My training is done. I don't need to come anymore."

Chiron scratched his beard. "You may not need us anymore, Andy, but we need you."

He shook his head. "I don't WANT to be needed!"

"Unfortunately, you don't have a choice in the matter. You are the son of two of the biggest heroes in this century. It is your destiny to follow in their footsteps."

"But-"

"We are fighting a war, Andy! It is your duty to train. To fight. You owe it to those demigods out there. Your family. You owe it to them to use your talent and help us win! You don't understand what's at stake. The fate of the world is in your hands!"

"NO ITS NOT! Find yourselves a new hero. It's not going to be me."

Andy sat back on the couch were Elena was before. "Not even a 'welcome back'" he mumbled.

"Andy, we shall discuss this at another time," Chiron said. "Elena, my office please."

* * *

><p>Maria breathed in deeply. She straightened her shirt and flattened her hair, and finally knocked on the door.<p>

"Come in!"

She opened the door to find Theo from the Hermes cabin going over something with Alex from Hephaestus.

"Hey Maria!" Theo smiled. "Looking for Ryan?"

She nodded.

"Check the lake"

"Thanks! You guys working on weaponry?"

"Yeah," Alex said. "Theo's got this great idea and we're going to see if my cabin can make a prototype. Hopefully we can get a few for Friday's attack, but I'm not sure."

"That's cool. Good luck!" Maria waved and shut the door behind her.

"The lake it is" she whispered.

* * *

><p>"ANDY!"<p>

For the second time that day, Andy turned around only to be crushed by a hug.

He smiled and gave her a quick kiss before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close.

"So, what've I missed?"

**Oooohhh! Cliffy! How many of you wish to kill me right now? Don't be shy! Raise those hands! I'm raising mine too. Well, the thing is, it's midnight and I haven't started my homework yet. And I haven't showered yet either. But I did want to give you a taste of what is coming up! Also, I realize it's probably been almost two months since my last update and I am SO, so, so sorry! Is there an excuse? Well I've been really busy, but also a bit lazy. So there isn't really anything I can say to make it better. But if you ever notice that it's been a while since my last update, just message me and let me know. The more you bug me, the faster I write. And I really don't mind at all! So, next one should be up in a week or so, if all goes well.**

**AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS. Please? Pretty, pretty please? With a cherry on top? **

**Review! :)**


	20. Chapter 20

"RYAN!"

Maria found him sitting on the ground by the lake, staring out at the water. She sat down next to him, stretching her feet out in front of her and leaning back on her hands.

"What's up?"

He turned to smile at her before lifting his shoulders the slightest bit. "Not much"

"I have something for you," she said, pulling a folded up paper towel out of her pocket. "Happy birthday. I know it's not much, just a couple seeds from this weird plant my dad keeps out on the balcony. It's really pretty though. I thought maybe you could plant them-"

Ryan stared at the round little seeds in his palm, his mind flashing back to what seemed like another life: Red roses, green vines, tulips and daisies and colorful flowers he couldn't name. The dark soil, teeming with life, the lush greenness of nature and the smell of fresh air. The warmth of the sunlight against his skin and finally, a soft, sweet laughter that rang in his ears.

He stood up and left, the seeds still clenched tightly in his hand.

* * *

><p>Andy smiled while his girlfriend talked, explaining all the things that had changed at camp since his last visit. But as she talked, he started to zone her out, thinking instead about the sparkle in her eyes and the way her hair had started to slip out of her ponytail.<p>

"Andy? Are you even listening to me?" Grace asked.

He blushed and hugged her closer. "I don't need to. Watching you is just as entertaining"

Grace laughed and nudged his shoulder. "Hey, don't you get soft on me now. We're still fighting a war here, you know!"

Andy stood up, then extended his hand to her. But the minute she was on her feet, he wrapped his arm around her and swung her over his shoulder.

"HEY! WAIT! PUT ME DOWN!" Grace giggled. She struggled for a bit longer before finally giving up.

"Nice ass, Andy" she said with a smile. Who said the battle was over?

* * *

><p>Ryan ran through the woods, his mind racing. He couldn't stop the flashbacks; brief images of that same laughter, a smile, the twinkle of two dark eyes <em>I love you. <em>A gentle hand reaching out to touch the flowers, wiping the cold, sweet strawberry juice dripping down his chin. A warm embrace. _I'll never let you go. _He saw her spinning, head thrown back, arms stretching outward. Her dress billowed around her and her hair whipped against her smiling face.

Ryan collapsed on the ground, tears streaking down his face.

"Mom"

**Yes, I know it was short, but you have disappointed me! I think I got like TWO reviews for that last chapter? SHAME. I shall go now, but you've got to do better than that if you want the next chapter up soon! :)**


	21. Chapter 21

**So here's the deal. I know most of you reading this want to kill me right now. I am ashamed. I've been on spring break all week and I haven't updated yet. The thing is, though, I have a seven-page paper to write, a PowerPoint to make, and Great Expectations to read. Did I mention I haven't started? So consider yourselves lucky. Anyway, here's what I'm thinking. If I get a decent amount of reviews on this chapter, I'll get the next one up before Sunday night. Otherwise, it'll probably have to wait a bit.**

**Now, moving on. I realize a lot of you may be a little bit confused about Ryan's situation and such…but I unfortunately can't say too much more than what's in the story so far. It's mainly a story about the Jackson kids, and the thing with Ryan is just kind of off to the side. But if you find yourself really confused, just PM me and we'll talk. Ok, enough of my rambling. Here you go!**

Elena followed Chiron into his office and pulled the door closed behind her. She took a seat in the armchair and pulled a small notebook out of her pocket.

"We have 38 swords, 26 daggers, 14 bows, each with a set of 12 arrows, 2 quarts of the deadliest poison we can make, 6 new traps that the Hermes cabin is showing everyone how to make, and…" She paused and looked away "the infirmary has been fully restocked, thanks to the Apollo cabin."

"And how are we on campers?" Chiron asked

"We're sending 35 for Friday's raid, most from Ares or Athena" She looked away again and Chiron nodded.

"Food, shelter? Everything's covered for Friday?"

"Yes, I think so. The Demeter cabin has been in the fields all morning and there should be enough tents in the storage room for everyone, if we put 3 or 4 people in each."

"And if we are attacked?"

"There are enough remaining campers to defend camp, should the need arise."

"Alright then, Elena. Keep double checking everything. We can't afford to have any mistakes. And go ask Jade to brew some temporary invisibility potion. We may need it. Have everyone ready to depart on Wednesday."

"Tomorrow? But-"

"Tomorrow."

* * *

><p>"Where are we going?" Grace asked for the fourth time.<p>

Andy just smiled.

He ran the rest of the way to his cabin and tossed her softly on his bed.

"Ok, so. I have something for you," he said. She shook her head in disbelief while he rummaged through his suitcase.

"I got this when I was in Hawaii last summer." He handed her a small colorful pouch.

Grace opened it and dumped the contents into her hand.

"It's a necklace," she said in awe. Andy nodded.

A small compass embedded in a glass seashell hung from a thin, transparent cord.

"So you always know which way to go."

* * *

><p>"But Jess, that's not fair!"<p>

"Maria, you're not going," The head counselor of the Athena cabin told her.

"But I HAVE to!"

"No. That's final. You haven't had the proper training."

"I'VE BEEN TRAINING FOR YEARS!"

"Maria. You're just too important to risk. You're not going, do you hear me?"

"But JEESSSS!"

"No."

* * *

><p>Maria woke up to the low noises of the monsters in the woods. It was still dark outside when she pulled up her hood, reached for her dagger, and slipped silently out the door.<p>

**Ok, guys, you know what to do! I hate to be that annoying type of writer that asks for reviews ever two seconds, but you have no clue how much they help me. The longer the better! Well, have a nice day :)**


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